Lotso, a white and cream shih tzu, was allowed to become so matted that it was difficult to tell one end of him from the other

RSPCA officers were called to help Lotso in January this year.

When they found him his eyes were covered by tangled fur and he “smelled strongly of urine where it had soaked into his coat”.

Inspector Claire Fisher said: “At first glance it was difficult to tell one end of Lotso from the other because he was so matted. It was the worst matting I had seen in 12 years.”

Lotso was sedated and almost a kilo of fur was clipped off.

He was examined again and the vet ruled he was underweight either because he wasn’t getting enough food or because his matted coat restricted him from bending down to eat his food.

Lotso, a white and cream shih tzu, was allowed to become so matted that it was difficult to tell one end of him from the other

Tiernan was also given a six month community order, a six month supervision and a curfew for three weeks, as well as being asked to pay £500 court costs.

Inspector Fisher added: “Poor Lotso’s case is a very graphic reminder that anyone thinking of getting a dog or a puppy with a long coat must take into consideration that it will need to be regularly groomed.

“They have to be committed to taking the time to groom their pet or pay someone to do it professionally, it’s not something that can be ignored or the dog can suffer terribly.”